Reflecting element



May 28, 1940.

s. F. ARBUCKLE REFLECTING ELEMENT Filed May 22, '1936 G w Wm %m m 3% u m 5 WW 1 .iiNNNN WRNmr-i. Y JMJ u f Patented May 1940 UNITE STATES- )PATENT OFFICE amscrmc ELEMENT Samuel F. Arbuckle, Highland Park, Mich; Hazel B. Scott and Guy Coulter administrators of said Samuel F. Arbuckle, deceased, assignors to S. F. Arbuckle Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application May 22, 1936, Serial No. 81,207

2 Claims.

' vehicles in order that these signs may be readily readable at night. conventionally, the indicia provide a plurality of minute, angularly related reflecting surfaces, which serve to reflect the light from the headlights of the car back in substantially the area traversed by the rays from the headlights in order that the driver thereof may easily read the indicia. Patent No. 2,004,181,

granted June 11, 1935, to the present applicant and to Guy H. Coulter, discloses and claims certain features of a sign construction of the. refiecting type preferably used in the practice of the present invention. In its relation to the present invention, the patented construction may be characterized as providing a plurality of frustro-conical elements ineach indicium, so formed as to confine the light reflected from the device within a relatively small area, thereby increasing the intensity thereof and substantially increasing the distance from which the device is visible.

The copending application of the present applicant, Serial No. 46,663, filed October 25, 1935, discloses and claims various improvements over the above identified patented construction. In certain of its aspects, the copending invention may be characterized as providing for the disposition along a highway of a plurality of reflecting signs, in serial relation. Depending umn the purposes for which the signs are to be used, their disposition and construction may be such as to render them visible one at a time, or to render several of them visible at the same time. For instance, for advertising purposes,-it may be regarded as desirable to bring the Signs into view one at a time. For warning purposes, as where it is desired to mark out a curve,--it1is desirable, in certain instances, to render -:a plurality visible at the same time.

Objects of the presentinvention fareto' provide dentified patented designed particuimprovementsover the abov' an'd copending constructions larly to more sharply define ,the image of individual signs, as well as to more sharply control the visibility of a succession-of signs which may be disposed'along a roadway; to provide, in a sign construction of the reflecting type, shields disposed to confine the area within which light from a sign of the reflecting. type is visible; to enclose the reflecting surface in a box which preeludes the impinging of stray light rays thereon 'twoportions.

to allow the reflecting signs to be placed closer tothe ground and the roadway to better intercept and return light from the lower or depressed beams of present day headlamps, and at the same time to exclude dust, road salt, mud and the like from being thrown, splashed or otherwise disposed thereon; and to generally'improve the construction and arrangement of reflecting signs.

With the above and other objects in view, which appear in the following description and in the appended claims, preferred but illustrative embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, throughout the several views of which corresponding reference characters are used todesignate corresponding parts and in which:

Figure l is a'view in front elevation of a reflecting sign embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the disposition of a plurality of signs embodying the invention along a roadway;

Figure? is a diagrammatic view similar to Figure 2; illustrating a modified disposition of signs along the roadway;

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken' along the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figures 5 through 11 are views in horizontal section of modified sign constructions.

In the constructions shown in Figures 1, 2' and 4, the'reflecting device designated generally as 20, comprises a U-shaped member having similarly formed legs 22 extending in generally parallel relation and at right angles to the base portion 24. The base portion 24 is formed preferably by a stamping operation, with a plurality of minute reflecting surfaces 24a, preferably formed in accordance with the disclosure of the above identified patent. The inside surfaces of the legs 22 are preferably formed as non-reflecting surfaces so that they act as blinders to shield and confine within predetermined the light reflected from the reflecting surface 24', and act to produce a, very sharply defined image which is visible from a relatively long distance. The reflecting device 20 may be secured, as by welding at the points 26,- directly to asup'porting post 28 which may be suitably imbedded inthe ground or otherwise maintained inan upright position. The complete assembly thus comprises the single stamped member and the post. 4 V h A cover '21 may be disposed across the top'of the leg portions 22 toenclose the channel at the pinginglight. The cover 21 portions 22 are further useful mild, and

the like, thereby retaining the -surfaces 24a bright andreflecting. The supporting post 28 ispreferably made of a The portion 23 is constructed of top to further protect the surfacesffla from im" as well as the leg so that it will bend if the stake is struck to permit the portion 23 and the reflecting device 20 to be disposed against the ground. The reflect-,

ing device 20 may again be disposed in vertical position by raising it and causing a reverse bending of the portion 25; The portions 23 and 25 are secured together preferably by bolts 29 so that the portion 25 may be renewed if broken.

While the use of the confining shields is found to be advantageous even in instances where the reflecting devices are used individually, their use is particularly advantageous in instances where a plurality of the devices are to be used in serial relation. In Figure 2, two series of the devices 20 are disposed along a highway, to mark out a curve thereon, the devices of each series being similarly directed and the signs of the two series being disposed at respectively opposite sides of the highway and faced in respectively opposite directions.

In the absence of the reflecting shields, it is found that in order to prevent the reflected light from the series from merging into a more or less continuous band, the individual devices must be placed at a rather substantial distance from each other. In practicing the present invention, however, utilizing the confining shields, which act to restrict the band of light reflected from each individual device, it is found that the individual devices may be placed much closer together and still maintain the individual beams in separate relation. In use, accordingly, the operator of an approaching vehicle is able to independently see a plurality of individual markers which accurately mark out and define the curve being approached. The nearest device, and the sign most directly in line with the line of vision, produces the most intense and widest band of light and the successive devices, being disposed around the curve and successively further from the driver, present successively less intense and narrower bands of light. The driver is thus enabled to clearly observe the order in which the signs are placed, and consequently, to determine the configuration of the curve. I

In certain instances, it is found practicable to confine the shielding action to only one lateral side of the device and in such instances the invention may take the form shown in Figure 5, in which the device 38 is made up of an L-shaped member having a leg 32, the inside of the surface of which is of a non-reflecting character and a base 34, adapted to be secured, as by welding at points 36, to the supporting structure of post 38. In Fig. 5, the reflecting surface 40 is formed separately from the L-shaped member, and may be secured thereto in any suitable way.

Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate various improved structural features, as embodied in reflecting devices, which may be used in instances where it is practicable to have the devices for both directions of travel disposed on one side of the highway, which general arrangement is shown in Figure 3. In Figure 6, the double faced device 50 is formed of two similar U-shaped elements having legs 52 and base portions 54. The legs 52 correspond in all respects to the legs 22 described with reference to Figure 4 and the bases 54 correspond in all respects to the base 24 with the exception that in Figure 6, the individual reflecting surfaces 54a are embossed upon the associated faces instead of being formed thereon by a die forming operation. The two U-shaped members are disposed in back to back relation, and are welded to the supporting post 56, which is disposed between them. In Figure '7 the device 60 corresponds in all respects to the sign 50 of Figure 6, withthe exception that the reflecting surfaces 62 and the U-shaped members 64 are formed separately, and are secured together as by welding. In Figure 8, the two U-shaped members 12 of device 10 are secured directly together in back to back relation, the supporting post I4 being secured at one side of the device. This arrangement is advantageous where it is desired to manufacture the double faced device independently of the supporting post.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate sections distinguish; ing particularly from the constructions of Figures 6, 7, and 8, in that the blinders or shields are formed of integral strips which extend on both, sides of the device. In Figure 9, the device is made up of a pair of similar but oppositely directed shields 82, the inner surfaces of which are of non-reflecting character, and which are welded as at points 84 intermediate thereof to the supporting structure or post 86. The reflecting surfaces 88 are secured as by welding at points 90 directly to the opposite faces of the post 86. The post 86, therefore, constitutes an integral part of the sign structure. In Figure 10, a corresponding construction is provided with the exception that one of the shields 82 is eliminated.

Figure 11 illustrates a further embodiment of the feature of forming the post 92 as an integral part, and of a size corresponding to that of the strips 94, of the sign construction, and distinguishes from the showing of Figures 9 and 10 principally in that the shields are omitted.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it 'will be evident that the invention thereof may be practiced in forms other than those disclosed. The described embodiments are therefore to be considered in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A reflecting device for marking aroad at night, comprising, a member having two legs extending at right angles to each other, one of said legs being provided with a reflecting surface and the surface of the other of said legs being relatively less reflecting, the other of said legs being at least equal in frontward extension to the width of said first leg .with the second said leg disposed substantially parallel to the road for confining the light reflected from said first leg substantially parallel to the road edge marked thereby.

2. A reflecting device for marking a road at 

